


One Week

by BackseatGaffer



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:01:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26257576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BackseatGaffer/pseuds/BackseatGaffer
Summary: Seven days. That's all the time that November 2019's US National Team camp would be gathered. Can history be rewritten in such a short period of time, and who might involve themselves to make it so?
Relationships: Ali Krieger/Alyssa Naeher, Jane Campbell/Christine Nairn
Kudos: 3





	One Week

On Monday, October 28th, new US National Team head coach Vlatko Andonovski announced a roster of 24 players for his first camp in charge, to be held November 10th-17th on the east coast, with matches against Canada on November 14th in Washington, DC and against Brazil on November 17th in Philadelphia, PA.

Goalkeepers: Alyssa Naeher; Adrianna Franch; Jane Campbell

Defenders: Becky Sauerbrunn; Abby Dahlkemper; Emily Sonnett; Crystal Dunn; Ali Krieger; Hallie Mace; Casey Short; Tierna Davidson

Midfielders: Julie Ertz; Lindsey Horan; Samantha Mewis; Morgan Brian; Andi Sullivan; Rose Lavelle; Allie Long

Forwards: Christen Press; Carli Lloyd; Lynn Williams; Jessica McDonald; Mallory Pugh; Tobin Heath

Notable absences from the recent Women's World Cup roster include Kelley O'Hara (injury), Alex Morgan (pregnancy), Ashlyn Harris, and Megan Rapinoe. In an interview with ESPN's Julie Foudy, Andonovski expressed that he left Harris and Rapinoe out of this camp due his familiarity with them and the need to look at others at their positions ahead of Olympic qualifying and the Games themselves.

**********

The 24 players arrived in Washington on November 10th and made their way by Metro, Uber, or taxi to the Renaissance Hotel, their home quarters for this portion of camp. Assistant coach Erica Dambach had the room keys and assignments for the women and handed them out as the players appeared. Because of the aforementioned absences, some new roommate combinations were devised.

Alyssa Naeher/Ali Krieger; Becky Sauerbrunn/Hallie Mace; Tobin Heath/Allie Long; Jane Campbell/Andi Sullivan; Christen Press/Casey Short; Lynn Williams/Jessica McDonald; Julie Ertz/Carli Lloyd; Lindsey Horan/Mallory Pugh; Samantha Mewis/Rose Lavelle; Emily Sonnett/Morgan Brian; Tierna Davidson/Abby Dahlkemper; Adrianna Franch/Crystal Dunn

Alyssa and Sam were two of the last to arrive and, following the receipt of their keys, went up to the fourth floor and their rooms. Jane was out in the hallway talking to her girlfriend, Christine Nairn. When she told Alyssa of this, the former Penn State goalkeeper asked her to relay that she wanted to talk to her college and U20 teammate about something and to call her sometime this evening. Jane gave the message to Christine and Alyssa went into her room. Upon opening the door, she saw Ali sitting on her bed on the phone. After finding out that she was trash-talking with her best friend, Carmelina Moscato, Alyssa spoke a brief hello to her fellow PSU alums before leaving and stopping over at Emily and Morgan's room to kill some time while allowing Ali to finish her call with Carm in peace.

**********

After an hour or so with Morgan and Emily, Alyssa returned to her and Ali's room, wanting to catch up with her roommate.

Ali: Carm says don't be a stranger this week. She's coming in on Wednesday and will be at Thursday night's game.

Alyssa: Already thinking ahead to Wednesday night dinner with her and the two of us?

Ali: It's on my mind. Knowing her, she'll add Labbe to the proceedings.

Alyssa: Great. The starting goalkeepers getting together the night before another showdown between the Superpowers of CONCACAF.

Ali: I thought you and Steph got along.

Alyssa: We do, in fact better than I do with Sabrina or Kailen, or Erin for that matter.

Ali got up off her bed and walked over to Alyssa, wrapping her in a warm hug which was reciprocated by the taller woman. Alyssa took in the scent of her former college teammate and mentor and instantly had her mind spiraling over the situation in front of her.

Ali: This is really a surprise, us being paired together. A nice surprise, but one nonetheless.

Alyssa: I know. Can't remember the last time we were roommates in camp.

The two of them broke apart and went downstairs for dinner. Following dinner was the introductory team meeting, with an early curfew being observed due to the beep test coming tomorrow morning.

**********

Christine Nairn: Jane said you wanted to talk to me about something.

Alyssa: Yeah, bud. This week is the last camp Ali and I will be together in before she gets married to Ashlyn.

Christine: And?

Alyssa: It's more or less the last shot I have to tell her how I feel about her and for her to receive it loud-and-clear, as neither Ash nor Pinoe are in camp with us.

Christine: There's a lot here you're not saying, Lyss. Spill the tea.

Alyssa: First, her and I are roomed together for this camp, the first time that's happened in I don't remember how long. Second, I have this....feeling....that she's not all that excited about the upcoming nuptials. I need some advice on how to express my interest in a slightly-more-than-friendly way but from which I can easily backtrack.

Christine: You're in DC. Ali and I played together there for three seasons. I know a few of her favorite haunts and likes from around the District. Let me do a little research and I'll send you a list of "cute but not over-the-top" gestures and gifts you can give her. Anyone on-site that might be able to help you?

Alyssa: We're playing Canada, so there are a few former Spirit in their squad, and Carm is coming to town for the game on Thursday. She was on the phone with her when I went to our room upon arriving.

Christine: I'll tell Jane to track you down when you have free time in the next day or two, because I'll feed her a bit of the inside scoop. By the way, I flew up with Jane earlier today and am at my parents' in Annapolis for the week.

Alyssa: Coming to Thursday's game, then?

Christine: Yes, and can be available for any night-before gathering involving some combination of the lot of you.

Alyssa: So maybe see you Wednesday?

Christine: Probably. Now, to get on to helping you out with stepping forward. Love ya.

Alyssa: Ditto, Nairn.

Alyssa hung up and returned to the room, which was empty at the present time. A few minutes later, Ali was back and the two of them settled in for the evening, both turning in at 10:00. While Alyssa was fast asleep somewhat quickly, Ali's mind was running circles over her conversation with Carm from earlier.

=======Flashback to Sunday afternoon=======

Ali: I have a few things to tell you, but I want to wait until Alyssa gets here so she doesn't walk in and accidentally hear what I say.

Carm: Take your time, hun. Must be pretty big to want that level of privacy.

Ali: It is, Carm.

Alyssa walked in and saw Ali sitting on her bed on the phone.

Alyssa: Oops, I'm sorry. Hi, Carm!

Carm: Tell Alyssa hi from me as well.

Ali: Carm says hi in return.

Alyssa: I'm going to go bother the Georgia Girls so you two can talk without an eavesdropper. Be back in a while.

Alyssa left the room and closed the door behind her, after which Ali started to share her thoughts with her best friend.

Ali: OK. I'm having second thoughts about this life I've agreed to.

Carm: Cold feet, maybe?

Ali: No. I've been having them since we got back from France. Between Ash and Pinoe, I feel like I'm being dragged along in this public procession to December 28th.

Carm: Why didn't you mention this during your bachelorette weekend?

Ali: I don't know. There wasn't really any impetus to confront the issue at that time like there is this week.

Carm: What do you mean?

Ali: Being at camp without the two of them. Rooming with Alyssa. Being more or less "home" for the first few days of this week. It's allowing the doubts to creep up, that I might be getting myself into a situation that I really don't want. Since I came to accept my being a lesbian, I have been tied-at-the-hip with Ashlyn, because she's been good about protecting me and I appreciate not having to be as out as others are.

Carm: It sounds like there is a big BUT coming.

Ali: Right. Because of all that, I haven't really taken stock of whether I'm with Ash because I'm scared of being single, or whether I'm with her because she is a full complement to myself. I have this one week to come to terms with it, be prodded into reconsideration, or walk away into that predestined life that I might not want, but don't have a means to leave.

Carm: You're hiding something, Ali. I can hear it loud-and-clear in your last statement. Who are you hoping will give you a reason to change your mind? Don't tell me it's Alyssa.

Ali: It is. I just feel something "different" when I'm around her, just the two of us. With Ashlyn around, she acts like a bro, comfortable sitting back and hanging. When it's her and I, there is this slight bit of reticence on her part, where she wants to say something but stops herself from doing so.

Carm: So what do you do?

Ali: I don't know. How do I reach out to tell her that I'm not as out-of-reach as she thinks I am, but without stepping out TOO far and possibly creating a major problem for myself?

Carm: Hmmm. I don't necessarily have the answer to this, but I think I know where I can get a bit of advice. Just hoping her plane is on the ground already.

Ali: Labbe?

Carm: Yep.

Ali: Now why would you go to her for help with my problem?

Carm: One, she's my other best friend. Two, she knows both you and Alyssa to a good extent. Three, she is a LOT like Lyss and probably will have some good ideas as a result of that.

Ali: You do have a point. Coming to Thursday's game?

Carm: Yep. Will be in town on Wednesday if you want to get together for dinner.

Ali: That should be doable. With or without others?

Carm: Probably with. Think you can drag Alyssa out for that?

Ali: I'm sure I can. See you then?

Carm: You bet your life on it. MUAH.

Ali: MUAH.

=======End of flashback=======

As she looked over at Alyssa sleeping, a warm feeling came over Ali. Resting in that peace, she turned onto her side and was able to fall asleep.

**********

Alyssa was up early on Monday morning, wanting to surprise Ali with her first attempt to get into her thoughts and heart. According to Christine, Ali's favorite coffee shop in Washington is A Baked Joint, which was within walking distance of the Renaissance, and her preferred order was an Americano and a chocolate croissant. Armed with this knowledge, Alyssa left the hotel and made the several-block jaunt to A Baked Joint, picking up an Iced Latte for herself and the Americano and pastry for her roommate. When Alyssa returned to her room, Ali was in the shower. She placed her order on her side of the nightstand and went through her clothes to pick out her gear for today's training session and beep test. Once Ali had finished with her shower, Alyssa went in, pausing for a second to get a slight glimpse of her older friend's trim body.

After drying off, brushing her teeth, and combing out her hair, Ali went into the main room and saw Alyssa's gift waiting for her. She waited until Alyssa came out from the bathroom to make mention of it and, in that time, pondered how she knew about A Baked Joint. A couple of minutes later, Alyssa was back in the room and got dressed.

Ali: Who told you about me and A Baked Joint? Did Labbe call you or something? Shelina?

Alyssa: No, and no. A little bird clued me in to your preferred morning order from the shop, so I went over there since I was up pretty early.

Ali: Thank you! I'm gonna have to pay you back somehow.

Alyssa looked down so she wouldn't give away the slight smirk on her face. The two of them finished off their drinks and the croissant, then went downstairs to join the rest of the team for breakfast.

**********

As per usual, the goalkeepers bombed out early in the beep test. With the rest of the team still engaged, Alyssa, Jane, AD, and Briana Scurry (interim goalkeeping coach) were on one end of the field doing some basic ball work. While doing so, the first two had a bit of a back-and-forth.

Jane: Christine told me that she sent you a list of ideas to woo Ali. Have you tried any of them yet?

Alyssa: I went to her favorite coffee shop this morning and got her her usual order from the place.

Jane: And?

Alyssa: She was quite grateful. She asked how I knew about the place and who tipped me off to it, blaming two of the Canadians for ratting her out, which of course wasn't the case. She also said she is going to have to pay me back somehow.

Jane: Do you have an endgame in mind yet, like what has to happen by the time everyone flies back out on Sunday evening?

Alyssa: I know between now and then, I have to muster up the guts to tell her how I feel and persuade her to walk away from the life she seems not to want that is laying in front of her. As for how I do it, that hasn't come to mind yet.

Jane: You mentioned the Canadians came up. Guessing former or current teammates of Ali's.

Alyssa: Right. Steph Labbe and Shelina Zadorsky.

Jane: Both of them were here with her at one point, and Shelina is now with her in Orlando. Wonder if either of them could be of some help.

Alyssa: Ali's bestie Carm Moscato is going to be here for the Thursday night game and she was considering getting us three Penn State alums together for dinner. Well, four since Christine will be up here as well.

Jane paused for a second and thought of something. "Christine played the one season here with Ali, Steph, and Shelina, then a season in Orlando with Ali and Shelina. I think that would make my bae and Shelina the better deal to paving a path from you to Ali to make the confession."

Alyssa: True, but with Carm apparently involved, that leads directly to Steph since they are almost as tight as Ali and Carm are.

Briana and AD came over to where the other two keepers were and, with several of the field players out of the competition, started some shooting and keeping drills while waiting for the rest of the players to finish up.

**********

The team had the afternoon off from training for recovery following the morning's torture session. Ali went to the hotel's whirlpool, hoping some hydrotherapy would help loosen up her 35-year-old legs a bit. When she got there, she saw Julie and Sam and joined them.

Ali: God is my body old! Why am I even thinking of staying around through qualifying and a possible second Olympics?

Julie: Vlatko sees you as good glue in this transition phase coming off the World Cup and into 2020. Whether that means you'll be just a test subject for him to compare other right backs against or it means working you into his possible list of 16 field players for Tokyo, I can't tell you.

Ali: Sam, you know Alyssa pretty well, right?

Sam: I think so. We have been developing more of a bond since we're the only two players from the Northeast in the national team pool, and her playing with Kristie at the Breakers while I was at UCLA added another layer to our becoming better friends. Why do you ask?

Ali: She somehow got word from I'm guessing someone who used to play for the Spirit about my favorite coffee shop in DC, then went out this morning and got me what I'd usually order when I go there. It was sweet, and I've been having a couple of thoughts since coming in yesterday afternoon about, well, her and I.

Julie: Her and you, as in?

Ali: As in, maybe she can be the kick-in-the-pants I need to stop this freight train headed for December 28th.

Julie: Having second thoughts about the legalities, or about Ashlyn on the whole, or something else?

Ali: Re-thinking whether this is what I truly want. Since accepting myself as gay, I haven't been with anyone BUT Ashlyn. 

Sam: And you see Alyssa as someone you might want to kick the tires on?

Ali: That's a weird way to describe it. I'd like to communicate that I'm open to more than just her being the supportive friend who might pine for me but is too loyal to stir up drama by telling me so.

Julie: So what do you need help with?

Ali: I told her this morning that I'd have to do something to pay her back for her surprise. How do I raise the stakes a little so she might "chase me"?

Sam: She's not the overly sentimental type where you can do something in the romantic realm and have her "get the hint". She's like every goalkeeper I know, very locked-down in her emotions and the strong, silent type. So think like that. Take the feelings out of it and consider what you'd get as a thank you gift for your team's backstop, such as Mcleod or Labbe or Aubrey Bledsoe.

Ali: Considering Erin and I go back longer than Alyssa and I do, maybe that's not a valid comparison.

Sam: So focus on the other two.

Julie: If it were me, and I wanted to do something nice for Alyssa, I'd do something one-on-one together. Doesn't have to be well-planned. Time is a greater commodity to her than "stuff", in my opinion.

Ali: You think that will work?

Sam: Only one way to find out, and that's by doing it.

Feeling refreshed, Ali got out of the whirlpool and dried herself off before leaving for her room. Meanwhile, Sam and Julie continued the conversation and the former decided to bring in some reinforcements to help this along, contacting her club goalkeeper for some insight.


End file.
